Can a hunter apply for hunt area 63 with a region licence?

No. Hunt area 63 is a limited-quota area drawn individually for residents and nonresidents alike. A region licence covers only the general-licence areas of its region and does not apply here. A hunter must draw a specific licence type for this area to hunt it.

How many preference points do Wyoming residents need for elk in hunt area 63?

Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points at all, and the resident elk draw for this area is random with no points in play. Nonresident applicants, however, compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to those with the most preference points and a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool.

Can a hunter hunt designated Wilderness in hunt area 63 as a nonresident without a guide?

No. Wyoming requires any nonresident hunting in designated Wilderness to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide. Nonresidents planning to hunt the Washakie Wilderness portion of this area must arrange a guide in advance.

What proportion of hunt area 63 is public land a hunter can count on?

About 70 percent of the area is dependably open public ground—roughly 257 square miles of National Forest, BLM, and State Trust Land. The remaining 30 percent is private land, though some ranches allow access by arrangement and the Absaroka Front Hunter Management Area is available with a printed permission slip.

Which seasons in hunt area 63 allow any-elk hunting?

Type 1 (any elk, September 1–October 21) is valid across the entire hunt area and is the primary any-elk licence. Type 2 (any elk, September 1–October 21) is restricted to the Washakie Wilderness only. Type 3 (any elk, archery September 1–September 30, then November 1–November 15) extends into late autumn. All other types are antlerless or cow-or-calf only.

Wyoming Hunt Area 63 (Wood River-Gooseberry Creek) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

70%

Elevation

5,400–12,200 ft

Terrain

Steep

Hunt area 63 straddles the transition between the Shoshone National Forest's high ridges and the rolling sagebrush foothills to the west, spanning 5,400 to 12,200 feet with terrain averaging moderate slopes of 17.5 degrees. Lower elevations are heavily sagebrush country with small patches of juniper and limber pine; mid elevations mix sagebrush with increasing conifer, grass and aspen; higher elevations become predominantly coniferous forest. The area breaks into two quite different hunting grounds: the mountainous public land of the national forest where roads are limited and foot travel is the norm, and the lower foothills where sagebrush and grass ridges intersperse with scattered ranches and private holdings. Archery hunting here finds good distribution of elk across the accessible public land.

About 70 percent of the area—roughly 257 square miles—is dependably open public ground: National Forest, BLM, and State Trust Land. That still means roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all constrain movement. The Absaroka Front is a Hunter Management Area on private land requiring a printed permission slip from Wyoming Game and Fish before hunting. Several ranches also allow access by arrangement. The area contains designated Wilderness; Wyoming law requires any nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide if hunting in Wilderness. The rest of the hunt area offers good public access on National Forest.

The seven seasonal licences here span different animal legality, terrain focus and timing. Type 1 and Type 2 (the latter restricted to Washakie Wilderness only) are any-elk licences drawing the heaviest pressure to National Forest and the Absaroka HMA. Type 4 and Type 6 are antlerless or cow-or-calf licences, with Type 6 off-national-forest holding more pressure on the Absaroka HMA and private ground. Type 3 shifts to late autumn and into early winter conditions. Archery seasons run September through early October across all archery-valid types, while regular seasons scatter from August through December depending on licence.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 63 (Wood River-Gooseberry Creek) is limited quota. A licence for it must be drawn for this hunt area specifically, by resident and nonresident alike. A region licence does not reach it — a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, so there is no fallback for this hunt.

Wyoming residents have no preference points for elk — the resident elk draw is random, and no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. For nonresidents points matter a great deal: Wyoming awards 75% of each nonresident pool through the preference-point draw, top-down by points, and the remaining 25% at random. Nonresidents also choose between the Regular and Special pools — the same hunts at two price points, competing separately.

Seasons (2026)

Type 5 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 22 – December 21
Type 1 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 21
Type 2 · Any elk valid within the Washakie Wilderness
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 21
Type 3 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – November 15
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 21
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Gooseberry Creek
Regular August 15 – October 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – December 21

The wording of each hunt is the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s and is legally exact — a “cow or calf” hunt is not a elk hunt in general, and a hunt limited to part of the area is not valid across it. Confirm every hunt in the current regulations before applying.

Hunting each season

Type 5 — Antlerless elk (September–December)

Type 5 hunts antlerless elk from September 1 through December 21, with archery only in September and regular season from late October through the end of year. The archery portion falls during the rut onset and primary rut, when cows are active and responsive; September brings cool nights near 39 degrees and mild days around 67, with minimal snow. The regular season spans the post-rut recovery period into migration and winter range use, with October snowfall averaging 2.7 inches climbing through November and December as temperatures drop from the low 50s to freezing, the hunting growing colder and the elk shifting to seasonal ranges. Most pressure concentrates on National Forest and the Absaroka HMA where hunters have good public access.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–October)

Type 1 allows hunting any elk across the entire hunt area from September 1 through October 21, with archery in September and regular season October 1–21. Archery hunters encounter the rut onset and primary rut when bulls are vocal and responding; September weather remains mild with highs around 67 degrees and negligible snow. Regular-season hunting runs through the late rut and early post-rut recovery as temperatures drop into the 50s and 40s and October snow is light on average. National Forest and the Absaroka HMA draw the heaviest hunter pressure for this licence type, which does have validity also in adjoining hunt area 64.

Type 2 — Any elk valid within the Washakie… (September–October)

Type 2 restricts any-elk hunting to the Washakie Wilderness only, open September 1 through October 21 with archery in September and regular season October 1–21. Nonresidents hunting this area must have a licensed guide or resident guide accompanying them in Wilderness. Archery hunters find bulls active in the rut onset and primary rut during September's mild conditions, while regular-season hunting runs through the late rut and post-rut recovery as cooler October weather brings an average of 2.7 inches of snow. The Wilderness terrain requires foot travel and self-sufficiency in steep, forested country.

Type 3 — Any elk (September–November)

Type 3 hunts any elk with archery September 1–30 and regular season November 1–15, spanning the rut onset and primary rut during archery then shifting to the migration transition for the rifle season. September archery occurs in cool nights around 39 degrees with mild days near 67 and virtually no snow. The November rifle hunt arrives as the migration transition unfolds in much colder conditions, with highs in the low 40s and average snowfall of 5 inches—conditions that can compress elk onto lower terrain and winter ranges. This licence offers a different hunting window and weather experience compared to the earlier seasons.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–December)

Type 4 hunts antlerless elk with archery September 1–30 and regular season October 1 through December 21, combining the rut and post-rut phases through winter. September archery falls during the rut onset and primary rut when September temperatures are mild (highs near 67, lows near 39) and snow is negligible. The extended regular season spans the late rut, post-rut recovery, migration, and winter range use; temperatures cool sharply from October into December (highs dropping from the 50s to the low 30s) as snowfall increases from 2.7 inches in October through 5 inches in November to 4.4 inches in December. Much of the antlerless harvest with Type 4 licences occurs off National Forest, particularly on the Absaroka HMA and private ranches.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid off national… (August–October)

Type 6 for cow or calf off the national forest north of Gooseberry Creek runs August 15 through October 31 regular season only, valid nowhere on the national forest itself. This hunt spans the late summer velvet period through pre-rut transition into the rut onset and primary rut, then finishing in late rut and early post-rut recovery. August brings warm days near 77 degrees with cool nights around 47 and no snow; September remains mild (highs 67, lows 39, trace snow); October cools to highs around 53 and lows near 29 with average snowfall of 2.7 inches. The off-forest restriction concentrates hunting on the Absaroka HMA and private ranches in the foothills and lower terrain.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid in the entire area (September–December)

Type 6 for cow or calf valid in the entire area runs archery September 1–30 and regular season November 1 through December 21, with the archery window falling during the rut onset and primary rut. September archery occurs in mild conditions (highs near 67, lows near 39) with virtually no snow. The regular season enters the migration transition into winter range conditions; November brings significant cooling and average snowfall of 5 inches while temperatures drop to the low 40s, and December continues the cold trend with highs around 32 degrees and 4.4 inches of average snow. This licence allows hunting across all public and private ground during two distinct phases of the season.

Land and access

National Forest36%

Generally open to public hunting

private land30%

Private

BLM27%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land8%

Generally open to public hunting

About 70% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 257 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

State trust land counts toward the open figure above. Wyoming extends hunting on legally accessiblestate trust land to the public unless a parcel is specifically closed — the catch is the access itself, since crossing private ground to reach it still needs the landowner’s permission. Camping, fires and off-road vehicles are not allowed on it.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 65% public land for this hunt area. That counts public ownership; the figure above counts ground a hunter can depend on getting onto. They answer different questions, so both are shown rather than blended.

It also holds 1 Hunter Management Area. That is private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before hunting it. Enrollment is renegotiated every year, so check current status before counting on either.

This hunt area includes designated wilderness. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in designated wilderness.

Where elk are mapped

Winter Range46%

used in winter

Summer Range29%

used in summer

Crucial Winter Range23%

the part of Winter Range considered essential to the herd — inside Winter Range, not added to it

Parturition Areas9%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Each figure is the share of the hunt area that layer covers. It says where elk are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.

Habitat and cover

Lower elevations

Sagebrush92%

Other cover5%

Conifer3%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush74%

Conifer16%

Grass and meadow6%

Other cover2%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Conifer49%

Sagebrush28%

Grass and meadow14%

Other cover10%

Shares are of each elevation band, not of the whole hunt area — they describe what grows up there, not how much of the area sits at that elevation.

Weather through the season

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Snowfall
January	34°F	11°F	3.2 in
February	35°F	12°F	4.3 in
March	44°F	19°F	4.5 in
April	50°F	25°F	4.4 in
May	59°F	34°F	0.4 in
June	69°F	42°F	0 in
July	78°F	48°F	0 in
August	77°F	47°F	0 in
September	67°F	39°F	0.2 in
October	53°F	29°F	2.7 in
November	41°F	18°F	5 in
December	32°F	11°F	4.4 in

Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.

Common questions

Can a hunter apply for hunt area 63 with a region licence?: No. Hunt area 63 is a limited-quota area drawn individually for residents and nonresidents alike. A region licence covers only the general-licence areas of its region and does not apply here. A hunter must draw a specific licence type for this area to hunt it.
How many preference points do Wyoming residents need for elk in hunt area 63?: Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points at all, and the resident elk draw for this area is random with no points in play. Nonresident applicants, however, compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to those with the most preference points and a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool.
Can a hunter hunt designated Wilderness in hunt area 63 as a nonresident without a guide?: No. Wyoming requires any nonresident hunting in designated Wilderness to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide. Nonresidents planning to hunt the Washakie Wilderness portion of this area must arrange a guide in advance.
What proportion of hunt area 63 is public land a hunter can count on?: About 70 percent of the area is dependably open public ground—roughly 257 square miles of National Forest, BLM, and State Trust Land. The remaining 30 percent is private land, though some ranches allow access by arrangement and the Absaroka Front Hunter Management Area is available with a printed permission slip.
Which seasons in hunt area 63 allow any-elk hunting?: Type 1 (any elk, September 1–October 21) is valid across the entire hunt area and is the primary any-elk licence. Type 2 (any elk, September 1–October 21) is restricted to the Washakie Wilderness only. Type 3 (any elk, archery September 1–September 30, then November 1–November 15) extends into late autumn. All other types are antlerless or cow-or-calf only.

Sources

Wyoming Game & Fish — Hunting & Trapping — licence types, general and limited-quota hunts, and season structure
WGFD Hunt Planner — hunt-area boundaries, season dates and the unit descriptions
WGFD — Draw results and odds — how the resident random draw and the nonresident preference-point draw work
WGFD — Regulations — the legal limitations on each hunt, and the statewide licence rules
USGS National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2021) and 3DEP elevation — land cover and terrain by elevation band

Seasons, licence types and boundaries change. Confirm every detail with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before applying or hunting.

All Wyoming elk hunt areas